Rotary electric timer



J. MORGAN ROTARY ELECTRIC TIMER Filed April 5. 1922 June 29 1926.

Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN C. MORGAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ELECTRIC TIMER.

Application led April 5, 1922.

An object of this invention is to make a cheap, Simple, compact, and durable double Contact timer that will operate satisfactorily without requiring any lubrication of the mechanism of the timer.

An object is to insure the making and breaking ot the circuit as required, and this I secure by providingr in combination with a circular rail that is made up of electrical insulation and electrical contacts, the surfaces of which are flush with each other; and two reciprocating brushes adapted to contact with said rail faces respectively, and having linear movement toward and from a common point or vertex p beyond said faces; and means to simultaneously revolve the brushes while in contact with said rail.

In Carrying out this invention, I mount two spring operated reciprocating plunger like brushes on one arm which is provided with an angular recess, the walls of which recess are provided with sockets that contain the reciprocating contact brushes and which may or may not contain the springs which force the plungers into the recess.

Certainty of simultaneous electrical contact between the reciprocating brushes and the contact pieces respectively of the annular rail is a further object.

This invention comprises a rotor for use in the standard Ford timer shell; and such rotor is adapted to be used in such shell by simply detaching the standard Ford timer rotor from its shaft and replacing it by the rotor which I shall hereinafter describe.

An object of this invention is to improve the rotor commonly employed with the standard Ford timer and to insure longer and better service, thus reducing through a period of time the expense of replacements and repairs in the Ford timer.

The operative parts of the Ford timer which I employ consist of an annulus of insulating material having contact members that are open to contact on the inner periphery ot' the annulus and also on the face open to contact in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation and this invent-ion is broadly new, basic and pioneer in that I provide a rotor having two contact holding sockets, the longitudinal axes of which are at right angles to each other and lie in a common plane radial to the axis ot rotation, and provide plunger brushes in said sockets and Serial No. 549,689.

means 'for yieldingly projecting the brushes trom such sockets.

For convenience of assembly and certainty of securing the plunger brushes against accidental displacement when the rotor is not assembled with the annulus oil the timer, I provide the mouths of the sockets with annular grooves and the plunger brushes with flanges inside the sockets and as the plungers are respectively inserted and pushed into compressed springs, I insert spring rings into the annular grooves and allow said rings to extend into the paths of the flanges in the inner end of the plunger brushes.

An advantage oi' thus securing the plunger brushes in the socket is the ease and quickness with which the brushes are assembled with the rotor.

A further object is to provide a simple construction oi brush holding rotor.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the acyompanying` drawing, the subjoined detail description and the appended claims.

The invention is adapt-ed to be carried out in various forms.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention in three of the forms in which it may be applied.

Figure l is an elevation of the open end of the timer.

Fig. 2 is a section on line m2, Fig. l, showing the timer in contact to close the circuit.

Fig. 3 is an outside view of the rotor with the two brushes in place.

Fig. 4 is a section on line m4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view analogous to Fig. 4 illustrating the rotor having a different means for retaining the spring-pressed brushes in place.

Fig. 6 is a section on line we, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section on line m7, Fig. 8, showing another form of construction.

Fig. 8 is a view of the inner face of the rotor. y

The rotor shaft l is of the usual construction driven by the engine not shown and forming the electric ground in the usual manner. 2 is the rotor fixed to the shaft 1 and revolving therewith in time with the motor mechanism not shown, and provided with a plurality of seats 3, 4 adapted to contain resilient means as the coil springs 5 adapted to press outward toward a common ylili vertex the brushes 6 and 7 which are in the form of plungers held in place by the retainine rings 8.

rlhe open mouths of theseats or bores 3, e from which the stems of the plunger brushes 6, Y project are adjacent to each other so that when the rotorA isl in place in the timer the plunger brushes will simultaneously contact with the annul'us and the resilientmeans as the springs 5 which hold the brushes in contact with the annulus are compressed as indicated in dlig-u 2.

Said rines 8 ht in grooves 9 in the soc iets 3', 4l, that contain saidA springs and the shouldersY or enlarged heads l2 of said brushes. The rings S may be snapped into and extend into the sockets which hold said rines. Said rings are of less diameter than the heads or shoulders l2 the brushes and the helical portions of the springs are of the same or less diameter than the heads.

ln Figs. 5 and 6, an angle plate 13 provided vvith holes l0, ll is fixed by screwsk lll to,- the rotor which is. shown with two faces 15 and 1G through which the bores l() and l1 extend.

lnY Figs. *.7 and 8, the faces 17 andv 18 of the rotor through which the stems 6 and 7 of the brushes project, are provided with over-hangs i9 and 20 that interce t the heads 1Q of the brushes to prevent displacement of the brushes.v 1

ln thisy form a flat spring 2l extends into the Way QQ? in which the brushes reciprocate.

The purpose of the springs is to hold the brushes ina yieldinLa,` contact posi-tion.

To manufacture the form shown in Figs. l-ll the rotor may be cast and the grooves 9 machined in. The springs 5 ivill; be inserted into brush sockets and the brushes will he pressed into place and the rings 8 Will be snapped into place to intercept the heads of the brushes. rlhe rotor will then be tired to the shaft in the usual Way.

The shell 23 may be of any desirable form provided internally with the circular rail cr annulus which is made up of the insulation 2l and the contact pieces Adjoining faces 9.6 and 27 of the annu-lus are shown at right angles to each other and the brushes in any of the forms are adapted to simultaneously be placed upon said faces by their respective springs and as` they are revolved around tl'iey successively open and close the circuit after they contact with the insulating surfaces and the contacting surfaces of the annulus. or circular rail.

The flat spring 2l shown in Figs. 'E and S is fixed to the rotor by screw 28.

Any number of contact pieces corresponding to the number of cylinders may be let intoI the insulating material of the annulus andeaeh of said contact pieces is connected with its respective igniter.

ln practice,` as the rotor revolves it. makes contact with the contact pieces successively and causes ignition in the engine cylinders in thev usual order.

lt is understood that since the plungers move upon smooth surfaces and are pressed against said surfaces by the springs, there is minimum disarrangeinent of the parts during theA operation of the timer. t is also noted that centrifugal force constantly aids the sDrin-gi 5 in holding the Contact piece or brush 7 in close contact with the inner face of the rail.

By arranging the anis of the brushes in a common plane radial tothe shaft l, the contact with each of the Contact pieces 25 is simultaneous for both brushes at each contact piece, thus insuring perfect4 closing of the circuit as each contact piece is passed by the rotor arm'. ln practice when it isdesii-ed to replace the rotor of a Fordl timer with any of the rotors herein describedV it is simply necessary to remo-ve the shell, take olf the Ford timer rotor, apply my rotor and. then replace the shell, taking careV in replacing the sliell that the plunger brushes are pushed back to allow the shell to come into position With the brushesV against the annulus, such displacement of the shell may be accomplished without detach-ing any of the electrical Wires.

l claim:

l. in electrical timer comprising' an annulus-r composed of electrical insulatioI-i with electrical Contact pieces each of which pieces is flush with faces of said annu-lus which are at right angles to each other; and a rotor having elect ical brushes comprising; plungers which are respectively yielding'ly held at right angles to each. other in Contact with 'dilferent faces of the annulus.

2. An electrical timer coniprisi 19;, an annulus composed of electrical insulation with electrical contact pieces each of which pieces is flush with faces of said annulus which are at righ-t angles to each other; and a rotor 'having electrical brushesl which are respectively yieldingly held in contact Withsaid faces of the ann-Lilus.

3. ln an electrical timer having; an annul-us with contact pieces, and a rotor having socket-s eXtendingl at right angles to each other with their longitudinal axes Vin a common plane; brush-es in the form of plungers having shoulders in said sockets, means in said, sockets to retain the shoulders, and springs to` yieldinpjly hold said brushes in Contact with and at right angles to adja cent faces of the annulus and having' linear movement toward and. from a common vertex. y

4l. A rotor for electrical timers`v said rotor having sockets, the aires of which are in a common plane and in angular relation to each other and with adjacent mouths; brushesv extending through said mouths and movable endvvise therein toward a common focus point; and means to yieldingly hold the brushes toward said focus point- 5. An electrical timer comprising a stationary insulating member having a smooth inside annular face and also a smooth side; stationary electrical contact pieces each having a face flush with the inside annular face and a face Hush with the smooth side of said member; a revolving shaft concentric to said inside face; a rigid member fixed to the shaft and having a recess; yieldingly mounted contact plungers in adjacent Walls of said recess, one of said plungers being adapted and arranged to press against said inside face, and the other plunger being adapted and arranged to press against said side of the annulns and to contact with the electrical contact pieces stationed therein.

6. In combination with an insulating ring having contact pieces which are each flush With adjacent faces of the ring; a revolving arm having a recess in its outer en'd to accommodate the ring; and spring pressed contact plungers one of which contacts with the annular face and the contact faces finsh therewith, and the other of which plungers contacts With said side and the contact faces flush therewith.

In testimony whereof, 1 have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California., this 27th day of March, 1922.

JOHN C. MORGAN. 

